plumers cost to replace hosebib

A plumber here who has given me a price of $300.00 to replace my hose bib which was dripping and wouldn't stop.
He gave me a 1 year warranty that is in writting on the bill.
Is this reasonable?
The plumber had a helper.
They left to get the part-s at a "plummers supply house".
They came back, and about 1/2 hour went by and they said "DONE" then billed me $300.00.
I wrote them a check for $325.00 so they had extra money for lunch.
The hose bib is upside down because of the type hose I use works better that way.
Here is the finished replacement:

If it works it works. But that is a "garden valve" which is more often installed on a vertical pipe. The difference is the angle that the hose takes off at. The garden valve is a higher flow valve then a "regular" bibb, and maybe that is an issue for you.

Without more information, I would have installed a different model valve, and of course not upside down.

He should have had a regular bibb on the truck, but if you specifically wanted the garden valve, he had to go get it.

Looks like a threaded valve, so other than the trip, this was a 10 minute job. $300 may be a little high, but he did show up to do this small job, which sometimes is a problem to get someone.

That is an illegal valve to put on .
It should have had a vacuum break on it that acted as an anti-siphon device.
A "hose" bib faucet would have angled way from the house, like Jimbo mentioned, that one belongs on a vertical pipe, and a vacuum breaker needs to go on before the hose attaches.

If you live in a climate where there is any danger of freezing temperatures, you should also have frost free hose bib. Even though you specified the type of faucet you wanted, any ethical plumber would have explained that what you asked for was improper and illegal and educated you on the proper hose bib to use. More over, that faucet is about a $5 item at any neighborhood hardware store and total install time would be less than 10 minutes. So even though a plumber will charge a minimum for just making the trip, it certainly isn't a $300 job. I'd say you got screwed big time!

I do not see why a garden faucet is required to have anti-siphon unless we know its height above ground, which we do not from this post.

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Ian, I agree. What's all this nonsense about anti-siphon. This is America and I don't have to do any damn thing like that. It's my water and I don't need no stinking water cops telling me about anti-siphon.

I have a question for you lady, if you feel comfortable answering that is..

Did you ask about an estimate/quote at all before allowing this guy to "fix" this for you? And if you did, did you feel his price was reasonable?

What a shame, it's guys like this who give all plumbers a bad name. Time and time again I have to fix the installations of hacks and so called journeymen plumbers...and when the customer tells me what they were charged for the original installation...my jaw drops.

I do not see why a garden faucet is required to have anti-siphon unless we know its height above ground, which we do not from this post.

I have them on all of mine (as good practice) by they are not a code requirement unless the faucet is low enough to the ground to require them.

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Around here, all outside bibbs regardless of where or how they are located, are required to have a vacuum breaker. This is enforced at new construction, remodel permits, and at time of sale of a property.

What a shame, it's guys like this who give all plumbers a bad name. Time and time again I have to fix the installations of hacks and so called journeymen plumbers...and when the customer tells me what they were charged for the original installation...my jaw drops.

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That's why I started DIY. Thank you America!

In England I would never had dreamed of doing work that should always be left to a licensed professional.

Here, you can often do a better job than the electrican/plumber/builder/landscaper sent round.

Well if you use the Yellow Pages anyway.

Can consumers really only trust word of mouth, or is there another way? I do not know anyone here you see. So I could only use Yellow Pages.

Attached Files:

No freezing issues that are drastic, maybe high 20's and some snow 2-8 times a year. Lower santa fe NM.
That hose is on city pressure which I was told was around 80-100 psg.
I wanted a good flow so that must be why he put that one on as per Jimbo
says it has better flow so I can wash the cars and water plants.
I'm not selling the house and the hose is usually only attached when in use.
I's about 30" above the sidewalk and there is a 30' drop down a flight of stairs so if I ever got a puddle up there that high I think my butt would be on the roof with the cats if the water ever got that high.
That was the over-all bid for the job and thought they did good.
Yes I am blond.
Yes out of the budget.
Should I try to stop payment on the check so they come knocking?
Did I miss any answers?

Ian, I agree. What's all this nonsense about anti-siphon. This is America and I don't have to do any damn thing like that. It's my water and I don't need no stinking water cops telling me about anti-siphon.

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You need a vacuum breaker TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY. There are many documented cases of a main line break that will immediately back flow water from peoples homes ... now what if you had your hose in a bucket to mix pesticides. It will all flow back into the public water supply.
I know a plumber who was fixing a hot water furnace and there was a water main break miles away ... he heard a huge sucking noise and in a short instant the entire furnace was sucked dry (no back flow preventer) ... into the potable water supply in went.

February 1974
Poultry Farm cross-connections - virus vaccine
The following are details regarding an article which appeared in the February, 1974 issue of “Poultry Digest”
regarding cross-connections in the Poultry Industry.
The feeding of live virus vaccine into potable water to immunize poultry against disease is a popular practice, but
one that creates a serious cross-connection. Significantly, the Food and Drug Administration published a list of twenty-
two live virus vaccines used to immunize cattle, swine, and poultry; and most of these are pathogenic to man.
There are over 57,000 poultry farms in the United States. Last year a cross-connection survey was conducted at
twenty-six farms located in five counties of a southern state... resulting in the discovery of 13,000 cross-connections!
Therefore, in order to prevent the possibility of the virus flowing back into the drinking water supply, it is essential
that backflow prevention devices be installed.

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Many possibilities exist for cross connection. Sprinkler systems, Boilers, Hosebibbs, even the fill valve in the toilet tank.

Ian,
In third world countries like England, they may not have these protections for the public water supply.
Here in the US, they have plumbing codes for outdoor faucets that will be used with hoses.
That's why we can drink our water from the tap, we don't need "bottled" water. Pretty sweet huh?

This is a washerless frostfree hosebib that I like to use. It's a 1/4 turn faucet, turns smoothly, protects the public water supply, and it's frostfree.

I don't have a problem with the price that the other plumber charged.
My sister was quoted $450 each to replace hosebibs in Tacoma Washington from a plumbing outfit down there.
With any faucet replacement, there will be travel time, and shuting down and turning the water back on.
That will take some time right there.

My only knock on the job listed at the top of the thread, was the type of hosebib installed.
It is a high flow valve, granted, but it should have been legal too.
She can still thread a anti-siphon to it though.